Solar Eclipse parties planned in Charleston, none locally

Colleton residents wanting to witness the total solar eclipse in August have more than a dozen organized events to choose from, but none of those are yet organized in Colleton County.
The historical total solar eclipse will occur on August 21st, with the largest time period of the eclipse predicted to happen in Charleston at 2:48 p.m. There is already a Web site dedicated to helping people from across the nation come to Charleston for the viewing. This Web site, www.charlestoncvb.com., lists all the places where you can attend a solar eclipse viewing party.
The site also shows graphics depicting the solar eclipse and the times in which will occur nationally.
During a total solar eclipse, the moon entirely blocks the sun. Though the entire process can take up to three hours, according to astronomers, the complete blocking of the sun will last for about 2 minutes and 40 seconds. This is the first time the United States has seen a total solar eclipse since 1979.
Locally, Walterboro Tourism Director Michelle Strickland says there are no scheduled events in the city for the public. Additionally, officials with the city and with Edisto Beach have not confirmed scheduled events for the public’s viewing.
As for school, no students will be in public schools in Colleton County on the day of the eclipse: the Colleton County School District’s adopted calendar for the 2017-2018 school year already has August 21st set as a teacher workday with no students scheduled to be at school.
Other nearby school districts, including Berkeley and Charleston Counties, have also changed their adopted schedules so that no students will be in school on that day.
However, there are multiple local events already planned.
The first event is slated for June 24th, with a Solar Eclipse Practice Day that is being held at Santee Canal State in Moncks Corner. The event is hosted by the Lowcountry Stargazers Group, who will be at the public park with solar viewing equipment. It begins at 1 p.m. The group will also answer questions about the eclipse.
On the day of the eclipse, the following viewing events are already planned:
Eclipse On A Warship: Watch the eclipse from the USS Yorktown in Mt. Pleasant.
Eclipse on the Atlantic: Pier 101 at Folly Beach is hosting a total eclipse viewing party on the beach from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
A Family Fun Event: The Great American Eclipse: The Charleston Museum is hosting a family event on August 19th.
Charleston Astronomy is hosting a Total Solar Eclipse Viewing party at the S.C. Aquarium in downtown Charleston.
The Charleston RiverDogs are hosting an “Eclipse Game,” with the gates to the stadium opening at 1 p.m. and the game set to begin after 4 p.m.
For more information on Lowcountry-wide events, go to www.charlestoncvb.com.